vil way, and from the evil of their doings. Am I a God at hand,
saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret
places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven
and earth? saith the Lord. I have heard what the prophets have said,
that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.

{341}{342}

[Illustration]
VIEW LOOKING TOWARD JERUSALEM FROM THE WEST.
Used by special permission of the Detroit Photograph Company.

This view looks toward the city from the southwest. The winding road
enters at the Jaffa gate.
[End illustration]

{343}

"'How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy
lies; even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart? which think
to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell
every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name for Baal.
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath
my word, let him speak my word faithfully.'

"'What is the straw to the wheat?' saith the Lord. 'Is not my word
like as fire?' saith the Lord; 'and like a hammer that breaketh the
rock in pieces?'

"'Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets,' saith the Lord, 'that
steal my words everyone from his neighbor.' 'Behold, I am against the
prophets,' saith the Lord, 'that use their tongues, and say, He
saith.' 'Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying dreams,' saith
the Lord, 'and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies,
and by their vain boasting: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them;
neither shall they profit this people at all,' saith the Lord.

"And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee,
saying, 'What is the burden of the Lord?' then shalt thou say unto
them, 'What burden! I will cast you off,' saith the Lord.

"And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall
say, 'The burden of the Lord,' I will even punish that man and his
house. Thus shall ye say everyone to his neighbor, and everyone to his
brother, 'What hath the Lord answered?' and 'What hath the Lord
spoken?' And the burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more: for
every man's own word shall be his burden; for ye have {344} perverted
the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God.

"Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, 'What hath the Lord answered
thee?' and 'What hath the Lord spoken?'

"But if ye say, 'The burden of the Lord'; the